Arresting gear



E. MOLLOY ETAL.

ARRESTING GEAR 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Jly 25, 1955 INVENTORS EDUIE MOLLOY and LUI/[5 QRHZCHE Nov, l5, E948. E, MQLLQY ETAL ARRESTING GEAR Filed` July 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 16, 1948 ARRESTING GEAR Eddie Molloy, Buffalo, and Louis G. Raiche, Kenmore, N. Y., assignors, by mesne assignments,

to Curtiss-Wright Corporation,

New York,

N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 25, 1935, Serial No. 33,046

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in arresting gears for use in connection with aircraft of the type adapted to land upon restricted landing areas.

Objects of the invention are to provide a retractable arresting gear for use with amphibian aircraft.

A further object is to provide a retracting and extending mechanism for a relatively long arresting hook.

Still another object is to provide means for preventing the bouncing of an arresting hook upon impact thereof with a landing surface.

Another object is to provide a pneumatic dashpot mechanism for reducing the bouncing tendenl cies of an arresting gear.

Another object is to provide a pneumatic dash pot organization having maximum effectiveness l toward one end of its stroke, the dashpot being organized for full movement between its extremes, for the extension and retraction of an arresting hook with which it is associated.

A still further object is to provide a novel mechanism for releasing an arresting gear from its retracted position by which it may move to the landing position, the same mean-s being organized for retracting the arresting gear when it is no longer needed in the landing position.

Further objects will become apparent from a reading of the subjoined specification and claims, and from an examination of the accompanying drawings, in which similar numbers indicate similar parts, and in which: n

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of an aircraft equipped with the arresting gear of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the pneumatic dashpot of the arresting gear; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2t

Fig. 4 is a section through the retracting and extending mechanism within the aircraft;

' Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the retracting and extending mechanism; and

Fig. 6 is an elevation, partly in section, showing the handle details of the retracting and extending mechanism.

Fig. 1 shows an amphibian aircraft of conventional form, including a fuselage I0 mounted upon a seaplane float I I, the latter having a retractable Wheeled landing gear I2. provided with a tail wheel I'3. This type of aircraft is adapted for alighting upon land or water and is suited for use on the decks of aircraft carriers Where the landing area is restricted. For such use, however, it is necessary to provide ran The iioat II is also' arresting gear organization designated in its entirety as I4, the arresting gear comprising a shank I5 pivoted at I6 to the aircraft fuselage and having at its extreme end a hook I1, which, when the shank I5 is lowered, is adapted to engage with transverse -cables stretched across the landing area. The shank I5 is retracted, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, against the bottom of the fuselage when the aircraft is in night or when the craft is operating upon the Water. In order to extend the gear rapidly, the shank I5 is projected at I8 above the pivot I6, and a spring I9 i-s fixed at its ends to the extension I8 and to a portion of the aircraft fuselage. Consequently, the spring tends to urge the shank to its lowermost or landing position. A cable 20 is shackled to the shank I5, and is passed over suitable pulleys Within the aircraft fuselage to a crank organization 2i. .By this means, when the cable is wound upon a drum forming part of the crank mechanism, the hook is withdrawn, and when the crank mechanism is released, the hook moves to its landing position.

Thus far, the arresting gear organization has no specific points of novelty. It should be noted.

however, that with seaplane type of aircraft, the

shank i5 must be considerably longer than it might be in the case of an aircraft having only a wheeled landing gear. Thereby, the weight and inertia of the shank I5 becomes quite large, and it has been found necessary to provide some means for damping the bouncing movement of the shank when the hook I1 engages the landing surface. To this end, we provide a pneumatic dashpot device 22, connected at its ends to the extension I8 and to a fixed part of the aircraft fuselage. and 3, comprises a 'cylinder 23 closed at one end by a screw cap 24 having an eye 25 for pin attachment to the fuselage. A piston 26, having leather packings 2l, engages the inner walls of the cylinder and is mounted upon a piston rod 28 extending through a closure 29 at the opposite end of the cylinder. There will normally be a slight amount of air leakage between the piston rod 28 and the closure 29, and past the piston 26. The device is shown in Fig. 2 in a retracted position of the arresting gear, the piston rod 28 having a fitting 30 for attachment to the extension i8. Upon extension of the arresting gear under the inuence of the spring I9, the piston 26 is drawn to the right along the cylinder, tending to compress the air to the right of the piston and tending to cause a slight vacuum to the left of the piston. Upon passing approximately the mid point of the cylinder, the piston uncovers a check valve 3i This device. shown in detail in Figs. 2

3 so constructed as to permit the entry of air within the cylinder, but to prevent the egress of air therefrom. Thus, upon passing the check valve 3|, the low pressure space to the left of the piston is opened to the atmosphere 'by which the pressure in the spaceto theleft ofthe piston becomes atmospheric, while that to the rightiseunder com pression.

At the right of the cylinder a jacket 32 is formed having ports '33 through the extreme right end of the cylinder wall effecting communication between the cylinder and the jacket. Additional. ports 34 are formed in the cylinder wall, Vcommunicating with the jacket, ata distance from-.the

right end of the cylinder slightly greater thanthe Thus as the total thickness of the piston 26. K piston moves to the right, air passesft'hrough both the ports 33 and 34' and is compressed within the jacket. As the piston passes to the right, the compression of air to the right of the pistongives a damping eiect to prevent the sudden extension of the arresting gear when released to the landing position. Slight leakage of air, along with the tension of the spring I9 and the weight of the arresting gear, will causeits full movement to the landing position. Upon such full movement, the ports 33 will lie .to-the right of the pistn and theports`34 will lie to the left thereof,

permitting communicationbetween thespaces tothe right and left ofthe piston through the jacket 32, and transferring `the compressed air, from the right side tothe left sideof the piston.

Upon impact of the arresting hook with the landing surface, the hook will tend to bounce upwardly, moving the pistonv to 4the left in the cylinder 23, thus'compress-ingthe air to the left.

of the piston. Whenso compressed, Vair-may not escape through the valve 3| since, as previously mentioned, this is a check valve preventing 'the' egress of air from the'cylinder. alon'g'with the compressed air inthe cylinder will tend to return the,arresting-'hook immediately to a landingv position and, in fact, prevent 'bonneing thereof; As the aircraft effects a landing, the arresting hook is rafised'sornewhat by which the spring i9 is placed undertensionand the pistcn is moved to the lleft inthe cylinder. Thereupon, the -landing hook is disengaged from the cables upon the landing surface and the pilot may retract the arresting hook'by means of the crank mechanism 2 i. the piston is movedto-the left Within the cylinder, gradually, and thenormal leakage of air permits this movement without undue` exertion upon the part of the pilot. If desired, a` small `vent vmay be vprovided toV augmentthe' gradualleakage of air. When the arresting gear is retracted, the slight suctionin the right part of the cylinder caused by Inovement'of the piston to the left', will be overcome, as soon as the piston moves'to'the left past the valve 3l, Iby entry `of air'through' the valve. It has been lfound in actual practice that this device has been extremelyeffective in damping bouncing of arrestinggears.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show the crankme'cha'nism` 2|l in detail, this mechanism comprising a supportA 35 fixed to the aircraft structure `and providing a journal uponwhicha'drum 36 is'mounted upon` anti-friction bea-rings 31. The end' of -the cable 23 is fixed to thedrum and is `wound thereon. The Adrum is provided with a notched disc 38 engageable bya pawl :39fcarried `by a crank 4B, the crank beingfrotatablymounted uponthe support .3.5; The'zcrank140-is provided with a turnt- TheY spring 9,

"in `so retract-ing the hook,`

' reverse rotation.

Y capable.

ing handle 4| and a release button 42 acting through a lever 43 and a rod 44 to raise the pawl 39 from engagement with the notched disc 38 upon pressing of the 'button 42. The crank 40, a-t its hub end, is provided with a notched member 45 pressed outwardly by `springs 4'6 to engage a notched plate 41 xed to the support 35, the notches of the element 45 being formed to pro- .Vide a one-way clutch to permit of turning of `'the crank 40 in one direction, but locking it from The operation of the crank mechanism is as follows. Assuming the arresting gear to'be inits landing position, it is desired to .retract the arresting gear, whereupon the pilot or crew-member ofthe aircraft turns the crank 4|) in the direction of rotation of Whicl'rit is 'The crank, by the engagement of the pawl 39 with the notched disc 38, thereby turns the'drum 36 to Wind the cable 20 thereon, thus retracting the arresting gear. This opera-tion may, of course, be performed at leisure after the aircraft has made ground contact. The arresting gear is held in the retracted position with the cable 20 under tension, since the mechanism including elements 45, 43 and 41 prevents the crank 40, and hence the drum 36, from unwinding the cable. Assuming the aircraft is in.flight` andis preparing to land, the pilot desires to lower the arresting gear quickly, whereupon he presses the.

'button 42 causing release of the pawl 39 .from the notched disc 38, the drum 36 then being free from the crank. The weight of the arresting gear and thevaction of the spring I9, quickly lowers the arresting gear to its landing position with no additional eiort by thepilot .than to push the button 42. In older types of arresting gear operatingmechanisfm, ithas been necessary forv the pilot to-eitherunwindvthe cable from a drumor to.move a reciprocating slide a substantial distance within the cockpit.. Withthe relatively long arresting gear shanks for vwhich this invention is .particularly adapted-this would involve a considerable amount .of movementI of the operating element. With this device,Y practically. no `movement is .required .for extending the arresting gear, and the mechanical advantage afforded by the crank and drumorganization permits of easy retraction-of the arresting `gear after a landing.

While we have described our invention in detail'in its present-preferred embodiment, it will be obvious-to-those skilled in thefart, afterunderstanding our invention, that-variouschanges and modifications may be made therein without departingfromthe spiritfor scope thereof. We aim in the appended claims to cover all such modications andchanges. v

-What is claimed is: i

1. In 'aircraft' including an arresting hook assembly pivoted Ato the 'aircraft for vertical oscillation, adevicc forpreventing hook'bouncing upon limpact thereof withl a landing surface comprising cylinder means and piston `means engaging said cylinder means, one said means being attached to the' aircraft and the 'other to the arresting hook, said cylinder having'spaced and interconnectedportsfcr by-passing air from one end of said cylinder to the other upon movementof said piston to `a position between said' ports.

2. A'shock absorber' for-aircraft arresting gears comprising a closed end `cylinder hinged yto saidN aircraft, `a -pistonV engagi'ngl'within 'said cylinder` and' hinged to ,said'rarrestingg'ear; means encirclingithe rodwtoffsaixi fpiston forming.' aclosure:

for the other end of said cylinder, said cylinder having communicating wall ports, one set thereof being located adjacent said closure and the other set being spaced from said rst set by a distance not less than the thickness of said piston, said piston being adapted upon extension of said arresting gear to pass between said sets of ports to establish communication between the 4cylinder spaces on each side of the piston.

3. Aircraft arresting gear, comprising a hook pivoted at one end to an aircraft structure,

`pneumatic means to damp rebound of the hook including a cylinder having spaced apart ports adjacent one end, a piston in said cylinder of width somewhat less than the space between said ports, means connecting said piston to said hook, and means to retract said hook including a cable, a drum, and a crank disconnectible from said drum at will of the operator.

4. In an aircraft, an arresting gear comprising a hook assembly pivoted to the aircraft, means for quickly urging said hook to extended position, means for damping the extension movement of said hook prior to complete extension of said hook, and means to retard rebound movement of said hook from its extended position.

5. In an aircraft, an arresting gear comprising a hook assembly pivoted to the aircraft, means for quickly urging said hook to extended position, means operative to snub the extension movement of said hook prior to complete extension of said hook, and means operative to retard rebound movement of said hook from its extended position, said last named means being at least in part responsive to said snubbing operation.

6. In Ian aircraft, an arresting gear adapted to be extended relative to said aircraft, means for quickly urging said arresting gear to its extended position, means for damping extension movement of said gear prior to its complete extension, and means to retard rebound movement of said gear from its extended position.

EDDIE MOLLOY. LOUIS G. RAICHE. 

